Why is compost special?

Building and maintaining a compost pile is the surest, easiest way to become a better gardener. Not only will you be producing the best possible food for your garden, but by watching leaves, eggshells, orange rinds, and grass clippings become transformed into rich compost filled with earthworms and other soil creatures, you'll be learning what healthy soil is all about.

Compost is a rich and crumbly blend of partially decomposed organic material that does wonderful things for your garden.

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Composting The Easy Way

• Written by Michael J. McGroarty

Having an ample supply of good rich compost is the gardeners' dream. It has many uses, and all of those uses will result in nicer plants. However, composting can be time consuming and hard work. I place a reasonable value on my time, so spending hours and hours turning compost piles doesn’t qualify as a worthwhile exercise, at least in my book. Nonetheless, I do compost, but I do so on my terms.

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Controlling Insects Organically

• Written by Kathy Anderson

Most gardeners are anxious to get out into their gardens as soon as the weather warms up and the first green sprout appears. Unfortunately, plant-eating insects are just as anxious as we are to get into the garden. They seem to think that our beautiful shrubs and tasty vegetables were planted for their benefit!

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Weed Control Facts

• Written by Michael J. McGroarty

Keeping your landscape plantings, flower beds, and nursery crops free of weeds is a battle, but if you approach it with a strategic plan, you will prevail. In order to develop a plan, you first must understand how weeds work, and what kind of weeds you are dealing with.

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Prune and Trelis Your Tomato Plants

• Written by Kathy Anderson

For many home gardeners, the tomato crop is often a source of pride. Gardeners often compete to see who can grow the earliest ripe fruit, the biggest or most flavorful tomato. The desire for perfect tomatoes sends many gardeners to their local garden centers in search of the latest potions or products that promise to help them achieve their goals.

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Which of the Hundreds of Tomato Varieties Should I Plant?

• Written by Kathy Anderson

Tomatoes are such a staple in the modern diet that it is hard to believe there was a time when this versatile fruit was once thought to be poisonous. Thankfully this member of the nightshade family has been known for centuries now to be a delicious and healthful addition to our diet and is now one of the most popular garden vegetables.

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